Closure of Shuman juvenile center and teen violence to be addressed by local groups

It all started in September 2021 — that’s when Allegheny County closed Shuman Juvenile Detention Center after the state revoked its license due to repeated safety violations.

Since then, sources have told Target 11 about several cases where teenage offenders, who they believe should have been locked up, were put on either house arrest or sentenced to an after-school program and ended up committing another violent crime.

Since the closing, the county has rented beds at private facilities in neighboring counties, including those in Steubenville, Ohio. However, when those facilities are full, in some cases, electronic house arrest is the only option.

Target 11 recently spoke Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, who said when it comes to teen crime, what happened is all part of a frustrating and frightening pattern.

Several organizations are meeting to discuss the closure of Shuman and the effects at 5:30 p.m. today at the Alma Speed Fox Building on Wylie Avenue. Watch Channel 11 News for complete coverage.

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